Animal-racing device



AJune 30, 1931;

A. FAY ETAL ANIMAL RACING DEVICE Filed Nav. '7.,' 1927 2 sheets-sneer 1 .f I .I a HIL.;

INVENToRs ToRNE June 30, 1931. A. FAY ET AL v 1,812,473

ANIMAL RACING DEVICE F11-ed Nov. 7. 1927 v 2`sneets-sheer 2 v,zaga z Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A N IMALRACIN G DEVICE Application led November 7, 1927. Serial No. 231,609.

Our invention relates to race courses wherein a lure passing around the course induces animals, such as dogs, to race therearound; and more especially to such devices wherein the lure is driven by an electric motor traveling with the lure, as distinguished from the devices of our copending applications, Serial N o. 224,210, filed October 5, 1927, and Serial N o.y 231,608 filed November 7, 1927, wherein the'lure is connected by a cable to driving means stationed beside the course. The object of our presentinvention is to make such a device, with traveling motor, simpler and less expensive to'. construct and operate, and adapted to be operated with greater safety and at 'higher speeds than devices heretofore in use and havingfthe motor carried with the lure. An especial object is to make this kind of device readily portable, whereby the amusement may be transferred from one locality to another, after the manner of a circus ,making the project more independent of conditions in any one locality, as well as available to less populous communities where a permanent installation would not be warranted. The above, and other objects which will appear in the course of the following description, are attained by the device illustrated, for example, in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a perspective view of a race course embodying our invention;

F ig. 2 is a plan view of the lure, its carrier andthe motor thereon, and part of the track and fence;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional end elevation of thesame;

As shown, the race course consists'of arace track 1 made up of straight portions joined by semicircular ends and having the inner fence 2 and outer fence 3, both made up of sections after the manner disclosed and claimed in our first mentioned prior application. The lure 4 is carried at the inner side of the track 1, next to thefence 2, which is slotted for connecting the lure, traveling over the track 1, tothe carrier,'traveling at the infield side of the inner fence 2.y yThis arrangement is preferred, as the motor is heavy, and'with a portable track it is possible to stay the same to resist the centrifugal force of the motor and carrier in passing around the end curves in a more practical manner as will be described, and the heavy carrier passes at a greater distance from the grandstandA Fig. 1) with less risk of injury of the spectators in case of derangement of the track or carrier while traveling at the high speeds necessary,

as high as forty miles per hour.

The track is made up of an outer rail 5 above 60 which is a guard rail 6, and an inner rail 7 of angular cross-section, upward and inward from which is a guard rail 8 of similar crosssection; these latter presenting the insides of their angles toward each other. These rails are supported on brackets 9 and 10 at their respective ends, making track sections, which are secured together by bolts 11 through the brackets F ig. 2) and stakes 12 passing down through overlappingr eyes 13 and 14 of 70 the respective brackets. Thus an endless series of sections make up the track, and the brackets have sockets 15 and 16, respectively, at their outer ends, receiving the posts of the fence sections 2.

The stakes 12 hold the track sufficiently in the straight parts of the course; but in the curved parts, cables 17 have their ends hooked to the eyes of every sixth pair of adjoining brackets (Fig. 1) and each one of these cables 30 17 is connected by a cable 18 to an anchor 19 sunk in the ground about at the center of the semicircular end of the course. These cables being drawn tight, the structure is bound together as an arch, with a series of sections between connections to the cable 17 as a truss, resisting the outward pressure of the carrier.

The carrier has an outer wheel 20 turning with the shaft of the motor 21 and run- 90 ning on the outer rail 5. The lure 4 is loose on the extension of the motor shaft, and does not turn therewith. The carrier also has a pair of inner wheels 22 journaled on studs in the ends of arms 23 extending from the 95 motor casing and inclined, with beveled peripheries running in the angles of the rails 7 and 8. These inner wheels 22, bearing against the upright part of the inner rail 7, resist the centrifugal force in rounding the by an overhead curves, With the outer Wheel 20 acting as the driving Wheel, as rotated by themotor 2l, Which derives current through a trolley Wheel 24 journaled on the end of one of the arms 23 and running against the trolley Wire 25 strung along the adjacent edge of the inner guard rail 8. This trolley Wire is connected line 26 With the power plant 27 outside the track (Fig. l), and may be cnt out by a switch at 28, at which point a braking effect on the carrier vmay be produced by depressing several sections of the overhead guard rail 6 against ythe carrier Wheel 20.

We do not Wish to 'be' understood .as beingv limitedto the .examples specifically set forth herein, but having thus fully described a pref ferred embodiment of our invention, what We claim asnew and desire to secure b-y Letters Patent. is: l

l. In combination With a racecourse, a lure, 'a motor having a shaft, a Wheel fixed on said shaft, a railalong said course, along which saidY Wheel drives said motor, vasecond Wheel rotatably connected With said motor, turningv on aninclined axis, a second rail along saidcourse supporting said secpond Wheel and having an upright part against which said second wheel bears to prevent sidewise displacement of said motor from said rails, and an extension from said niotorto said lure.

2. In combination With a race course, a lure, a motor. having a shaft, a Wheel fixed on said shaft,a rail along said` course, along which said ivheel drives said motor, a pair of Wheels Arotatably connected with said motor, turning on inclined axes, a second rail along said course supporting said pair of Wheels and having an upright part against which said pair of Wheels bears to prevent sidewise displacement of said motor from said rails, and an extension `from saidv motor to said lure.

3. In coinbinationvvith a i'aCecOuise, a lure, a motorV having shaft, a Wheel fixed on said shaft, a rail along said course, along Which said Wheel drives saidi'notor, a second Wheel rotatably connected withl said motor, turning on an inclined axis, a second rail alongsaid coursesuppoiting said lsecond Wheel, and having, an uprightpart against Which said second Wheel bears to prevent sidewise displacement of said motor from said rails,y a guard` rail over saidVv .second Wheel, and an extension from saidV motor to said lure. y y

4; In combination with a race course, a lure, a motorhaving ashaft, a wheel xed on said shaftea rail along said course, alo-ng which said Wheel drives -said motor, a pair of Wheels rotatalbly connectedfwit'n said niotor, turning on inclined axes, a secondfrail along saidy course supporting said pair of wheels and having an uprightypart against Which said pair of Wheels bears to prevent sidewise displacement of said moto-r from said rails, a guard rail over said pair of Wheels, and an extension from `said motor to said lure.

5. In combination With a race course, a lure, ya motor having a shaft, a Wheel fixed on said shaft, a rail along said course on which said Wheel travels, brackets supporting said rails and having arms extending `over the path of said motor, a fence mounted on said arms, leaving a slot along said rail,'and an extension from saidmotor through said slot to said lure, said Wheel driving said lurealong said course.

6. In combination with a race course, a lure, a motor having a shaft, a Wheel fixed on said shaft, a. rail along said'course on Which said Wheel travels, bracketsvmounted entirely on the surface of the groundand supporting said rails and having arms eX- tending over the path of said motor, a fence mounted on said arms, leaving a: slot'V along saidrail, .and an extension from said VYmotor through said slot kto said lure, said Wheel driving said lure` along said course.

7. Inrcomb-ination With a Arace course,- a lure, a motor having a shaft, a Wheel fixed on said shaft, a rail along said course on Which said'Wheel travels, brackets mounted entirely `on the surface, of the ground and supporting said l rails, ground, cablesV connecting ,said brackets With said anchor, said brackets havingarms ex-V tending ove-r the path of saidmotorya fence mounted on said arms, leaving a slot along said rail, and an extension from said motor through vsaid slot to said lure, said Wheel driving said lure along said course.y f

8. In combinationvvith a race course, a

.track therealong, supporte-d kentirely on the A surface 'of the ground, a fence supportedby the structure of the track and spaced-upfrom the 4track, a'luracarrier traveling on -said track, having an extension under said fence, a lure on said extension, and means for driving said carrieralong saidtrack.

l0. In combinationV with a-race'coiirse, a track therealong, made up of sectionsadapted to be connected forv use or separated for transportation, fence sections supported by the structures of the respective track sections and spaced up from vthe track, alure carrier traveling on said track, having an extension under said fence sections, a lure onsaid eX- tension, and meansfor driving said carrier along said track. f Y

11. In combination .With a race course, a

an4 anchor set inthe track therealong comprising horizontal rail parts and an upright part between the horizontal parts, a lure carrier having a wheel to roll on one horizontal rail part and having a pair of Wheels to roll against both the other horizontal rail part and the upright rail part, and means for driving said carrier along said track.

12. In combination with a race course, a track therealong comprising horizontal rail parts and an upright part between the horizontal parts, a lure carrier having a wheel to roll on one horizontal rail part and having a pair of wheels to roll against both the other horizontal rail part and the upright rail part, said track also comprising guard rails above and adapted to be engaged by the wheels, the one above the pair of wheels havingfa horizontal part and an upright part, with both of which said pair of wheels may have rolling contact, and means for driving said carrier along said track.

13. A track for a race-course-lure carrier made up of sections each having an eye at each end with vertical openings through the eyes, one eye lying close to kthe ground and the other eye being elevated so that an eye of one section overlaps and registers with the eye of an adjoining section, and stakes driven through the registering eyes into the ground.

14. A track 'for raoe-course-lure carrier made up of sections each having arms at its ends extending over the carrier-receiving part of the section, each arm having a socket, fence sections, each having downward projections to enter the respective sockets, and means for detachably joining the track sections together and securing said track sections to the ground.

15. In combination with a race course, a track therealong comprising a lower rail and an upper rail, supports for the respective rails, a fence supported by the support for the upper rail, a lure carrier having a wheel traveling between said lower rail and sai-d upper rail, and having an extension out over the course below said fence, a lure on said extension, and means for driving said carrier along said track.

16. In combination with a race course, a track therealong comprising a lower rail and an upper rail, a lure carrier having a wheel traveling between said lower rail and said upper rail, driving means for said carrier at the sides 0i said rails remote from said course, supports for the respective rails joined together at the side of said driving means remote from said course, said carrier having an extension out over the course below the upper rail, and a lure on said extension.

17. In combination with a race course, a track therealong comprising a lower rail and an upper rail, a lure carrier having a wheel traveling between said lower rail and said upper rail, a motor on said lure carrier at the sides of said rails remote from said course, supports for the respective rails joined together at the side of said motor remote from said course, leaving an open path for said motor along said rails, means whereby said motor drives said carrier, said carrier having an extension out over the course below said upper rail, and a lure on said extension.

ALPI-IEUS FAY.

JOHN L. ZEHNDER. 

